1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cooking apparatus, and, more particularly, to cooking apparatus for use within a fireplace.
2. Background Information
The patent literature includes a number of examples of apparatus providing a surface for cooking over a fire within a fireplace, with a portion of the apparatus being fastened to one or more surfaces of the fireplaces, and with the surface to be used for cooking being adjustable but not readily removable from the portion of the apparatus fastened in place within the fireplace. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,834,370 describes a grill for use in a fireplace or outdoors comprises a 1 rack and pinion elevating assembly. A shaft which operates the pinion may be pushed to lock the elevating assembly and pulled to unlock the elevating assembly so that the grill may be raised or lowered. The grill may be tilted and latched in any one of several tilted positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,879 describes another example of such apparatus, in which a fireplace cooking grill is supported for vertical and horizontal adjustment in a fireplace opening with the grill being supported from a vertically disposed support post having a rack Sear along one edge thereof with the grill including a slide on the post having a manually rotatable gear mounted in a gear housing in engagement with the rack gear for vertically adjusting the grill. The rotatable gear is provided with a detachable handle, which can be removed when desired, and the gear housing includes a bracket having a horizontally disposed support member slidably supporting a grill frame and a removable grill therein which enables the grill to be vertically adjustable in relation to the fireplace and horizontally adjustable inwardly and outwardly of the fireplace to enable optimum positioning of the grill in relationship to a fire, coals, or other heat source in the fireplace.
Yet another example of such apparatus is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,146, in the form of a fireplace cooking device which provides for translation a grill or other cooking device in three orthogonal directions. The device has a wall assembly, which attaches to the sidewall of the fireplace and maintains a mechanism to raise or lower a grill or other cooking device. Attached to the wall assembly are a series of elements which are pivotably mounted to provide planar translation of a grill or other cooking device.
What is needed is apparatus providing a cooking surface without a necessity for fastening a portion of the apparatus in place within the fireplace. Furthermore, what is needed is a method for readily removing the cooking surface for cleaning or to provide for other uses of the fireplace.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,905 describes a combination fire grate and fireplace cooking grill in which a modular design facilitates the use of various sizes of fuels, such as charcoal or wood. A lightweight handle with a coupling configuration is provided for repositioning the cooking grill with respect to the fire, and/or for removing the cooking grill and food from the fire. This coupling means is designed to quickly and positively engage the cooking grill when inserted from a direction approximately perpendicular to the cooking surface. As the handle is then displaced arcuately towards the plane of the cooking surface, a novel hook-shaped tip portion and basal portion of the coupling means of the handle matably engage appropriately formed surfaces on the cooking grill because the secure inner connection of the handle and cooking grill. Further arcuate displacement of the handle then causes a tracking portion formed on the cooking grill to disengage from stops to thereby allow the cooking grill to be moved freely to any of a variety of cooking positions, or to be removed entirely for serving. What is needed is a cooking grill having an elongated handle to allow installation and removal of the cooking grill without a need to grip a surface near a fire being held within the grate. Additionally, what is needed is a simple structure, such as slots, each open at one end, for removably engaging the cooking grill. Furthermore, what is needed is a frame mounting the cooking grill, with the frame being separate from the grate, so that the cooking apparatus can be used with an existing grate.
A conventional Hibachi unit typically includes a pair of slotted brackets that are used to hold removable cooking grills at various levels above a charcoal fire held within the Hibachi unit. Examples of such units are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,256,080 and 4,413,609. What is needed is an apparatus for fireplace cooking employing slotted brackets to hold one or more removable cooking grills at various levels above a fire in the fireplace.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,083,354 and 4,553,525 describe portable grill apparatus including a food grill adjustably clamped to an upstanding elongated member supported by a foot assembly. The device can be used to hold the food grill over a fire in an outdoor campsite or in a fireplace. What is needed is a frame for removably holding one or more cooking grills behind a fire within a fireplace.